Week 51 - Nice - 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks

After reflecting on naughty ancestors in the last 52 Weeks post, this time I'm reflecting on the nice.  The 'Nice' ancestors frequently receive less publicity than their 'Naughty' counterparts, going about their lives quietly and without fuss.  Frequently they leave fewer records behind them to detail their lives than those who were 'naughty' - no court records, no prison sentences, fewer articles in the newspapers covering their deeds. Sometimes finding their footprints in history can be considerably harder, with their deeds not trumpeted to the world.

One such unsung ancestor was my great-uncle David James Clark.  It was only a few years ago, well after his death, that I discovered he was quite devoted to public service and volunteering, and in 1979 he was awarded an Order of Australia for his community service.

After service in the militia between the wars and in the army during World War 2, where he achieved the rank of Lieutenant Colonel, David returned to Melbourne and lived out his life in Brighton and Cheltenham.  He became heavily involved in volunteer work, especially after his retirement, and was notably devoted to his former school, Brighton Primary.

An unsung hero indeed.

WDYTYA Magazine

The latest issue of Who Do You Think You Are magazine is now available free online for Campaspe Library members via our subscription to RB Digital eMagazines.

Inside this month's issue

• 50 websites to watch
  Our exclusive annual report reveals the crucial record releases coming online for family historians in 2019
• Child's play
  Janet Few shares some top tips on getting the children in your family interested in family history
• Nonconformist family
  How to find your ancestors' records outside the established church
• All at she
  The women who dressed as men to sail the seas
• Reader story
  How a DNA test unlocked the mystery of Amelia Thorogood's father's parents
• Plus...
  The best websites for researching your surname; finding your ancestors in temperance pledges; the history of shoemaking, and much more...

Week 50 - Naughty - 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks

As we approach Christmas, this week's topic of Naughty and next week's Nice seem apt.
"Naughty" brings to mind my disappointment at finding I have no convict ancestors.  In a perhaps uniquely Australian perspective, we tend to celebrate our convict ancestors as the founders of our nation, sent against their will to an unfamiliar land on the other side of the world for often fairly trivial offences.  As I have researched my ancestors I looked in vain for a convict, but found none - all my ancestors chose Australia as their home, rather than having it chosen for them.

My lack of convict ancestors does not mean there are no black sheep lurking on the limbs of my family tree.  Two of my ancestors, William Mothersole and James Cocksedge (they were brothers-in-law as well as friends and drinking companions) both has several convictions for being drunk and disorderly, and both spent time in prison when they were unable to pay the fines their behavior accrued. 

Bury and Norwich Post, 22 September 1863

 From the newspaper reports of their exploits, William Mothersole was frequently the ringleader of their misbehavior and neither learned the 'error of their ways'.  Surely a trial for their wives and families.

Week 49 - Winter - 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks

Winter, just as we are entering the Australian summer, seems a little out of place, but winter still holds a number of special memories.

The scent of woodsmoke reminds me of childhood winters with a blazing wood fire in our living room.  The rest of the house was unheated, and I can remember many winter nights quickly diving under multiple blankets and shivering until the bed warmed up.  Getting up to run to the bathroom in the middle of the night was cruel, as our toilet was out on the back verandah and freezing cold during the winter months.  Thinking back it makes me appreciate my central heating and ensuite bathroom I enjoy today.

While snow was unheard of in the area where we lived, heavy frosts in midwinter turned the landscape white.  My grandmother taught me to knit as a child and for many winters I enjoyed gloves, scarves and hats I had made myself.  They also made excellent presents for family and friends and as my knitting became better the patterns grew steadily more complex.

My first visit to the snowfields as a child is another special winter memory - a rare holiday spent building snowmen, trying to ski and playing in the snow.  I quickly found that my knitted gloves were useless in a snowy environment, quickly becoming sodden and cold.  Snow deeper than my boots was also an unwelcome discovery.

New Records Online at NSW State Archives

The New South Wales State Archives have uploaded another trache of records searchable free online.  The Index to Convicts Applications to Marry has added 2,686 additional names covering May 1833 to Dec 1837. This is the 4th volume in the series.

These registers record key details about the parties applying for permission to marry including: their names; their ages; the date of permission or refusal; ship of arrival; sentence (for the party who was the convict); whether free or bond and the name of the clergyman.

There are seven registers in the series, some of which have overlapping dates.  Four registers have been indexed, covering December 1825 to March 1841.  A further three registers, covering January 1831 to 26 February 1851, are still in the process of being indexed.

While the basic information listed above is free to view, a full copy of the record can also be ordered at a small cost.

New German records on FamilySearch

In a massive boost for anyone with German ancestors, FamilySearch has added a massive new collection of Lutheran baptism, marriage and burial records, comprising almost 80 million new records. The collection spans the years from 1500 to 1971 and was done in partnership with Ancestry.

A typical baptism record in this collection lists the name of the child, gender, name of the parents, birth date and place, parish, town and state.

A typical marriage record lists the names of the bride and groom, their year of birth, the names of the parents, the wedding date, parish, town and state.

A typical burial record in this collection lists the name of the deceased, gender, date and place of death, spouse’s name, names of the parents, parish, town and state. Some records also list the date the obituary was published, which often can provide further clues as to the names of other family members.

The collection can be searched by first name and last name.

Week 48 - Next to Last - 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks

Next to last brings to mind both my parents, who were each the second youngest child in their respective families.

For both my parents, the span of ages amongst their siblings is large, with the age difference between oldest and youngest sibling stretching over at least 20 years.  As a result, the difference is ages between oldest and youngest cousins is even greater.  Several of my older cousins, on both sides of my family, were parents themselves well before my sister and I were born.  It makes for interesting family gatherings.

On my father's side of the family, eldest brother Frank was born in 1908.  My father Peter was born in 1926, and youngest sister Marjory in 1928, making a 20 year span between the 10 siblings.  Add to this the fact that Dad was in his 40's when he had children, and the gap between oldest and youngest cousin in the Green family is almost 38 years.

Although there are only 5 siblings in my mother's family, significant gaps between some of the children creates even bigger age gaps.  Eldest sister Mavis was born in 1924, my mother was born in 1942, and youngest brother Noel appeared in 1947, making a 23 year span between oldest and youngest.  The first of the Pummeroy cousins was born in 1948, and the youngest didn't appear until 1988, making a whopping 40 year difference between oldest and youngest cousin!

Generation game indeed!